IT infrastructure is a lot like any of the utilities in your home. You don’t give a lot of thought to running a hot shower or turning on a light switch, that is until you notice that the hot water isn’t running and the light never turned on to brighten the room.
IT infrastructure is not only critical to the functioning of your enterprise but also the push for innovation and competitive advantage.
What is IT infrastructure? Put simply, it’s the components that support the functioning of your technology. There are many layers to infrastructure because, for every piece of equipment that supports your systems, there’s a more detailed layer under that piece.
There are several reasons why infrastructure is so central to the success of your enterprise:
It drives your basic business processes. Every enterprise is dependent on their computer systems, from communications through email to accounting and inventory analysis.
In turn, those computers rely on the IT infrastructure, including WiFi connectivity and design, high-quality wiring, robust security – including anti-virus, ransomware protection, and patch management – as well as backups and other business continuity measures. If any piece of this puzzle is missing, your business suffers.
Infrastructure keeps the business going: Think about technology that’s reliable 99% of the time. That sounds good doesn’t it? Maybe not, when you consider that it equates to 1,200 minutes out of a typical 2,000-hour year of working time. Those minutes aren’t consecutive either so you end up with many instances of compromised productivity.
A big data center shoots for what’s called the five 9’s, which is 99.999% uptime. While you likely won’t come near that number, it’s a good idea to remember that your IT infrastructure has a direct impact on your uptime.
Infrastructure supports innovation: You can go even further with that and say that it drives innovation, because if you consider all of the amazing products that have debuted on the consumer market in recent years – including voice assistants and WiFi thermostats – it’s easy to see how a faulty infrastructure component like spotty network connectivity could cause the technology to fail.
Infrastructure prevents a disaster: Your infrastructure won’t keep a hurricane from hitting your area, but most disasters don’t come in the form of a hurricane. They more often arrive in the form of a phishing email or an employee that is negligent with passwords. Solid IT infrastructure puts the systems in place that help you prevent disasters that could interrupt your business processes.
Peace of mind: After reading the above reasons for investing in your IT infrastructure, it’s easy to see why it equates to a more relaxed business environment.
If you’ve been contemplating an upgrade or investment in your IT infrastructure, take a look at this free download to learn more about the topic. Then contact us at TailWind for more information.